


Pan Dulce

by spaceyJC



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: F/M, Family Bonding, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Food, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:47:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28475670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceyJC/pseuds/spaceyJC
Summary: Héctor, Imelda, and Coco (along with the rest of the Rivera family) share some sweet memories in the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead.
Relationships: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Pan Dulce

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elletoria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elletoria/gifts).



> Written as part of the secret santa gift exchange in the Marigold Bridge Coco Discord server! 
> 
> This is the first fanfiction that I've written EVER, let alone this fandom. It was so much fun to write. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> This fic was inspired by Elletoria's art that you can view [HERE](https://swanpit.tumblr.com/post/189665490151)

“Papá!” Coco screeched, her little body emitting an infectious excited energy. 

Imelda smiled at the energetic little girl. She loved giving her this news. “That’s right, mija! Papá will be home in a few hours!”

The two year old continued to do her dance around her room for a few moments until she launched herself into Imelda’s arms. “Papá!” she exclaimed again. 

Imelda couldn’t help but giggle. This tour was longer than most and it had taken a bigger toll on her and Coco than she expected. Now that Coco was growing up, she was becoming more and more aware and affected by his absence. She would often ask for him, especially at night, since when he was home he would sing her lullabies to help her fall asleep. Imelda would always have to tell her that he wasn’t there, but that he’d be home soon. But she never really knew when he’d be back.

Then, Imelda received a letter from Héctor saying that he would be on the afternoon train to Santa Cecilia. Imelda could finally tell Coco that he was on his way back to hug and kiss her and sing her lullabies. And perhaps Imelda could even convince him to stay for good…

“Papá is on his way, so you know what that means,” Imelda said, looking into her daughter’s eyes. She looked like she was going to burst from pure excitement. “We’ll make him pan dulce for when he comes home! How does that sound, mija?”

Coco squealed and clapped her hands together. Coco always loved helping her mamá cook because it made her feel like a Big Girl, and she was determined to show her papá just how much of a Big Girl she was.

“Okay, let’s get started,” Imelda said as she scooped the bubbly little girl in her arms and started towards the kitchen. 

Coco helped Imelda crack the eggs and whisk the ingredients. The pair giggled as some of it spilled on their aprons and the flour got in their hair. Gentle, experienced hands guided little hands as they cut and rolled the dough. Soon, the bread was baking, and Coco stopped to take pride in her handy work. She truly was such a Big Girl.

“Mamá, bread!” She exclaimed, pointing at the baking bread and then putting her hands on her hips, a beaming smile on her face.

“You did such a good job, mija! Your papá will love it,” Imelda said, stroking her daughter’s braids. 

Then, at the sound of a door opening, Coco practically flew out of the kitchen.

“I’m home! Where are my beautiful girls?” Héctor’s voice called out from the front room.

“PAPÁ!” the little girl screamed. Héctor dropped his suitcase and squatted down to her level as she launched herself into his arms. 

Héctor hugged Coco tightly to his chest. “I missed you so, so much, mija,” He said. After a few minutes he let go to take a good look at his daughter.

“Wow, you have grown so much!” 

Coco stood up straight and put her hands on her hips again, a proud expression on her face. “Big girl!” She said.

Héctor laughed. “Sí, mija, you _are_ a big girl!” He patted the top of her head before pulling her into another hug. 

“You need to stop growing so fast, I can hardly keep up!” 

Coco giggled.

“Hmm. Maybe if I push down on your head you’ll stop growing so fast…” Héctor gently pushed down on Coco’s head, only for her to cross her arms and give him an adorable little scowl.

“Okay, okay,” Héctor laughed, pulling his hand away. “You can grow a _little_ bit more.” 

Coco seemed content with this, and her gleeful smile returned.

Then, Héctor looked up and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Imelda leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen. 

How she managed to get even _more_ beautiful every time he saw her, he didn’t know. 

“Imelda,” he said softly as he crossed the room to his wife. “Mi amor, I--” His words abruptly cut off when she grabbed his tie suddenly and pulled him into a deep kiss. He stumbled forward slightly, caught off balance by the sudden movement, but he quickly composed himself and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Bleh!” Héctor heard a shrill voice behind him exclaim, and the couple pulled away from their kiss laughing. 

“Welcome home, Héctor,” Imelda said softly with a grin on her face. “I’m glad you’re back.”

“I missed you so much. I couldn’t wait to see you again.” Héctor went in for another kiss and then pulled back quickly while sniffing the air.

“Oh, I smell something good!”

“Bread!” Coco screeched, jumping up and down with excitement once again. “Bread! Bread! Bread!”

“Coco and I have made something special for you,” Imelda said. “Stay here while we go get it.”

Imelda grabbed Coco’s hand and disappeared into the kitchen. They emerged a few moments later with a plate of pan dulce in Coco’s hands. Grinning from ear to ear, she held out the plate to Héctor.

“Wow, thank you! Did you help mamá make these?” Héctor asked, kneeling down to get a better look. 

Coco nodded wildly and pointed proudly at the buns that she helped to make. They were small and sloppy compared to Imelda’s, but Héctor thought they were perfect.

“Eat, Papá, eat!” Coco insisted. She grabbed one of the buns and shoved it in Héctor’s mouth. He laughed for a moment and then took a bite. 

“Good?” Coco asked, adopting a serious expression. 

Héctor paused for a moment as if to truly evaluate the taste. “It’s delicious!” He said, scooping up Coco with one arm and slipping his other arm around Imelda’s waist. “You’re an amazing little chef.”

\------

Héctor couldn’t believe it. He was holding his little girl in his arms again.

After years of trying, and failure after failure, he was finally there hugging his child again. Years and years had led up to that moment, and it was as beautiful and emotional as he dreamed it would be. 

But then the moment ended. 

He was happy. _Unbelievably_ happy. Happier than he had been in years. He finally had his familia back-- his wife back, his daughter back. Yet there was still something inside him that wasn’t quite right. Something was still… broken. 

He ignored the feeling. He didn’t want to address it. He hated the feeling. Why on earth should he feel sad? He finally had everything he could ever have wanted. It was more than he deserved. He should feel grateful, and he _did,_ but it was growing more difficult to deny the sinking feeling of time that was wasted, moments that weren’t shared, and choices that shouldn’t have been made.

\------

One clear afternoon, Héctor sat on the steps outside the house plucking a lazy tune on his guitar while Pepita stretched her wings nearby. It wasn’t unlike many afternoons since a talented young boy-- _his_ grandson-- got himself cursed and changed all their afterlives forever, but this time he had his daughter. His little girl was by his side once again.

Well, he supposed she wasn’t quite so little anymore. Looking at her now-- her grey hair, her wise demeanor, the fact that she had a _husband_ \-- made it all the more real just how much of her life he had missed. Not only the big moments, but the small ones too. She was her own woman now. She had a life, and he wasn’t a part of it. 

Coco sat close beside him, listening quietly as he strummed a half-finished song. They had done so much talking over the past few days, and he had loved every minute of it. He wanted to know everything about her life and the woman she had become. There had been laughter and tears. But it was nice to simply enjoy each other’s company. They had all the time in the world now. 

“Papá, are you okay?” Coco said quietly.

“Of course I am, mija,” Héctor said. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Coco shrugged slightly. “A lot has changed for you. I wanted to make sure you’re doing okay.”

Héctor strummed out a small flourish on his guitar. “I have my family back, and that was all I ever wanted. I’m doing better than ever.”

A few more moments passed before Coco spoke up again. “It just… It seems like something is bothering you.”

Héctor stopped strumming for a moment and turned to look at Coco. He remembered those eyes. When everything else about her was unfamiliar, he still remembered her big brown eyes that would stare up at him in adoration whenever he played their lullaby. But now they were full of concern. Héctor sighed. 

With a deep breath he said, “I am so grateful to be here with you and your mamá and everyone else. I… It’s just… I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for you. I missed so much of your life and…” Héctor closed his eyes.

He felt gentle arms wrap around him and a skull rest on his shoulder. “Oh Papá…”

They sat in silence for a moment. Then Coco said quietly, “A lot of time was stolen from us. But the rest can’t be stolen from us now. We can’t change the past, but we’ve got here and now. And I’m so grateful that you’re here now, Papá.”

Héctor turned his head to look at Coco once again, a small smile on his lips.

“You’re absolutely right, mija,” He said. “Now, how did you get so wise? I think I should have pushed down on your head more often to keep you from growing so fast.”

They both laughed, and the moment of melancholy had passed.

“Papá, I was thinking, do you want to make pan dulce together? Now that you’re home again?”

Héctor couldn’t help but gasp a little. His daughter’s memory continued to amaze him. Not only did she hold onto the existence of a man who was only present for the first four years of her life despite the fog of her dementia, but she could remember specific memories of their short time together.

“I’d love that.”

\------

The Rivera kitchen was bursting with life (so to speak) as everyone piled in to help make the pan dulce. Coco no longer needed help cracking the eggs and those little hands weren’t so little anymore, but she still held onto that childlike excitement as she and her parents cut and rolled the dough. She was a Big Girl, but she figured she would always be a Little Girl, too. 

The twins stood to the side contemplating how to improve the efficiency of various kitchen tools while Rosita cheerfully shared memories of baking with her mamá. Victoria was leaning over the counter consulting a cookbook while Julio watched in adoration at his wife.

The bread had been baking in the oven for a few minutes when Héctor felt something hit the back of his head. He turned around to see Coco wearing a mischievous grin, trying to suppress giggles, and holding some flour in her hand. 

“Oh no you don’t,” Héctor said teasingly, picking up a wad of flour himself. And before Imelda could protest, a full scale food fight had erupted in the kitchen. Julio had ducked behind the counter while the twins started using the kitchen utensils they were studying as catapults. Even Victoria joined in after being pelted in the face by a particularly large pile of flour that coated the entire surface area of her glasses in white dust.

Then, covered with flour and grinning from ear to ear, Coco presented the finished buns to Héctor. 

“Welcome home, Papá”

At that moment, Héctor felt something inside him become a little less broken.

He grabbed a bun and took a bite. “You’re an amazing little chef,” he said. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Elletoria made some art from scenes from this fic, and you can view it [HERE](https://swanpit.tumblr.com/post/639074308194533376/pan-dulce) and [HERE](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18050198/chapters/69763305). I squealed with delight when I saw it, so be sure to check it out!


End file.
